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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26709217">Contentious</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stralia_Harker/pseuds/Stralia_Harker'>Stralia_Harker</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Giving it Their All [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stranger Things (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Amused Billy Hargrove, Boys In Love, Fluff and Humor, Idiots in Love, M/M, Reflection, bratty Steve</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:47:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,439</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26709217</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stralia_Harker/pseuds/Stralia_Harker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Billy's POV on Steve's contentious and amusing relationship with Mr. Richard Harrington</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Giving it Their All [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880374</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Contentious</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Some more fluff and antics from this verse. </p>
<p>Comments and kudos appreciated.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Billy had only ever met Mr. Harrington once, during that absolutely delightful trip to cape cod. At the time he’d just thought of him as an uptight jackass, he still thought that but now he found him sad and pitiful. It was an odd thing to think of a powerful man like him, but really when you took the money away, there wasn’t much there. He wasn’t particularly interesting, outside his business knowledge and skirt-chasing he didn’t have many interests. Steve once told Billy his dad was a walking wikiHow tutorial on how to be a rich douchebag. And after having to hold Steve that last night because of his father’s comments, Billy had never planned on liking the guy.</p>
<p>The first time Mr. Harrington called in front of Billy, he was expecting Steve to fight through the conversation, to have to comfort him after. What he got was a sassy and glib Steve rolling his eyes and making faces for the duration of the call, he could hear the irritation in Mr. Harrington’s voice at his son’s lack of interest. He knew Steve’s dad wanted to be taken seriously and Steve couldn’t be bothered. It was a new side to Steve he hadn’t known about. </p>
<p>He’d asked Steve what changed, Steve’s answer was simple, “I did.”   He told Billy when he told his parents he had been picked up by a modeling agency they had vastly different reactions. His mom was impressed, might have even been a little proud. Mr. Harrington however had a conniption, he tried to forbid Steve from taking the contract. Then he reminded Billy of the stupid dinner his dad had taken him to.</p>
<p>“You remember, I called you at like midnight all pissed off.”</p>
<p>“You’ve called a few times all pissed off. “ </p>
<p>“Right but I started this conversation by telling you my dad tried to pimp me out.” </p>
<p>“Oh yeah, to that one lady whose husband had just left her right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, and she had just got like half of his money, and was looking to show him up. He got her to invest in some project, then like offered me up as a signing bonus or some shit. Just gave her a key to my room and everything.” </p>
<p>“I remember, cuz you kept rinsing with mouthwash during the call.” Billy laughed.</p>
<p>“So like at first I was hurt, like what the hell. Then I got mad, and just kind of stayed mad. And he tried to justify it by telling me I didn’t have to whore myself to some filthy industry, if I wanted to live a frivolous life I could at least help him out. It just hit me that he was never going to see me as his son, that I could miraculously acquire all the business knowledge I needed and he’d still find a way to invalidate anything I did. I made something happen without his help and he hated it. So I just quit caring about his opinion.” <br/>And Billy gets it, Steve had been proud of himself. He had met with the agents, he had made the impression, he had shown he had what it took for them to take a chance on some midwest pretty boy. That was his and his father couldn’t even give him that. The brattiness made sense now, Steve’s dad liked to hear himself talk, liked to aggrandize his own importance and Steve knew it now, he’d finally figured out how to get under his father’s skin and did it. Billy figured it must have gotten worse once Steve realized he was financially independent. God knows he did the same shit to Neil, pressed his buttons because he finally could, especially after Billy had to bail them out of an impending foreclosure. </p>
<p>The difference between Steve and Billy however was spite. Wherein Billy sent Susan money each month because he knew it rubbed Neil the wrong way. He was positively gleeful when he saw the look on Neil’s face when Billy gave Susan the money for the house. It pissed Neil off to no end when Susan would call Billy for help when they were struggling. And it pissed him off, even more, when Billy told Susan, in front of Neil, to let him know if he ever laid a hand on her or Max, he’d get her out and cut Neil off. Billy knew he was a smug, petty little bastard when it came to his dad, but he’d never had the power before, he’d be a liar if he said he didn’t enjoy it. He knew damn well Neil wasn’t about to jeopardize his meal ticket, even if he hated being reliant on the son he despised. </p>
<p>Steve, on the other hand, he was playful. He knew he was getting on his dad’s nerve’s but he was never cruel, honest at times, but never mean. Steve pushed boundaries, Billy likened it to a toddler who stares at their parent while doing what they were told not to. They wanted to see how far they could push it. Billy thinks Steve was amused that his parents, his father, in particular, believed any of Steve’s life choices had anything to do with them. His parents were so out of touch that they didn’t realize that Steve was as unconcerned with them now as they were with him as a teenager. </p>
<p>Billy used to think he had the whole ‘zero fucks given’ attitude down, then he started watching Steve with his dad. Steve was the very definition of the phrase, he didn’t explain himself, would just say “yes I did,” and go on with his day. He didn’t ask for permission, nor did he ask for forgiveness, he’d just let his father go on a rant and press what buttons he felt like. He was amused by his father’s attempts to wrestle control of his son’s life back. Steve’s rebellion was definitely the more entertaining of the two.</p>
<p>“Oh hi daddy,” Steve had just hit answer on his phone as Billy walked in the room. </p>
<p>“Steven, that’s not how you address me.”</p>
<p>“Well good thing I wasn’t talking to you, now isn’t it Dick.” Billy choked on his beer at Steve referring to Richard Harrington as Dick. <br/>“Steven I do not need to be subjected to whatever perverse lifestyle you’re living.” </p>
<p>“Oh for fucks sake, unclench before you give yourself a stroke, I was joking around with Billy.  Are you going to be berating or interrogating me tonight? I need to pick which aromatherapy candle to light for the occasion.”  Steve said as he walked toward the bedroom.</p>
<p>Billy looked on in amusement as Steve appeared with a lavender and sage candle and his basket of skincare items. Billy could hear the disinterest as Steve picked through the items, trying to decide on a face mask. He grabbed a headband and walked over to Billy, he straddled him as he cradled the phone between his neck and ear. Steve handed Billy the headband as he opened one of his many jars. Billy had learned to just go with it and really his skin was thanking him. He closed his eyes as Steve massaged the mask onto his skin, listening to his random disinterested “oh yeah,” and “really.” This apparently was one of the rare times his dad had called just to ramble. He opened his eyes just in time to see Steve pull the phone away and mouth “Oh my god” with a look of annoyance on his face. Twenty minutes later Steve’s dad had finally hung up and Steve was helping Billy wash his face, handing him various washes and creams. </p>
<p>“Well there went twenty minutes of my life I’ll never get back. Doesn’t the man know he’s going to give me wrinkles.” </p>
<p>“Aww, he stress you out baby?”</p>
<p>“No just confused me with whatever the hell he was talking about and I squint when I’m confused. Makes my forehead wrinkle. Eh, doesn’t matter, everything gets photoshopped anyway.”  Billy shook his head as Steve pulled out some kind of serum and his jade roller. </p>
<p>Billy was in awe of how unbothered by his father Steve was. He thought back to the times when they were kids that Steve would show up sulking or with tears in his eyes, always after his father had laid into him. Now Steve just looks bored and he can see why he pushes buttons to amuse himself. He knows that they both are still a little immature when it comes to dealing with their father’s but he thinks they’ll eventually outgrow it. He hopes so at least.</p>
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